Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-02

HARVARD VS.. YALE
The Four-yIile Annual Four-Oared Race
Won by Yale.
lCopyr9h, 1887, by the California associated Press
New LONDON, July 1st.-The annual race
between the Yale and Harvard crews, in
eight cared shells, is assuming or has al
ready assumed the same relative position
in America that collegiate boating occu-
pied in England by the contests between
Oxford and Cambridge As an exact mat.
ter OF fact, the four-mile, Straightforward
races between Yale and Harvard
since the beginning of the series in
1875, have not all been closely con-
tested, and much the more important
feature has frequently been the assem-
bling of the thousands of partisans of
the crimson and blue on the Thames.
The crews differ from other oarsmen, mas
much as they are supposed to acquire a
classical education simultaneously with
proficiency as athletes, and every section of
the United States has been represented by
the crews of the past few years. Yale and
Harvard decided to have an annual exclus-
i've race after 1t became apparent that in a
scramble between the crews of a dozen
colleges it was very uncertain whether
accident instead of merit would not decide
the event. Several attempts have been
made to have other colleges in the race,
but they have failed, and the event con
tlnueS to be representative only of what
are classed as the leading Universities,
although other events have come in, grad
ually, while at first resisted, to divide the
interest of the week of competitive collie
giate rowing. The races this year between
Yale and the University of Pennsylvania,
Harvard and Columbia Varsity and the
Harvard Columbia Freshmen, have only
led up to the interest of the
ANNUAL YALE-HARvARD CONTEST.
The Harvard University crew is COM
posed of a. P. Butler, 49, ]. w. Wood, 'SS ::
II. w. Keyes (Captain), 'S7; c. Z. Schroil
SO; J. I. Davis, $50; E. c. Pfeiffer, 'S9 !:
w. A. Brooks, 'S7; E. C. Storrow, 'S7, with
]. Q. Brown, IS, as coxswain. Although
these are Eastern boys, they are well de-
veloped. They average in weight 1911
pounds, and one (Pfeiffer) is feet inches
tall. A majority are 81 years of age and
over.
On the other hand, the Yale crew are
even older. Two of the Yalensians-Wil-
cox and Cardwell-are IS years old. One
of the substitutes, Cross, is 80 The Yale
crew was made up of the following r. NJ.
Wilcox, 'SS; c. o. Gill, 'SS: John Rogers.
u.
W. Woodruff. $50; F. A. Stevenson, 'SS :;
G. A. Carter, 'SS; L. L. Caldwell. 'S7, with
r. Thompson, 80, as coXswain. The Yale
crew may be said to be scientific, three of
the men belonging to the Sheffield Scien-
tific School.
Some general interest may be manifested
concerning the records made by the win
ming crews over the four-Inile course
(Which is as straight as can be-, and some
of these records are given, as follows 1876,
at Springfield Yale, % min. sec; 1877, at
Springfield, Harvard, "a min. So sec: 1875.
on the Thames, at New London (where all
subsequent races have occurred, Harvard,
20 min. 40 sec; 1879, Harvard % min AZ sec:
1880, Yale % min. 8 Sec; 1881. Yale. -
min. 10 sec; 1882. Harvard, 20 min. All
Sec; 1885, Harvard, % min. 46l sec; 1884.
Yale, 20 min. 81 Sec; 1885, Harvard, %
min. 10! sec. Yale won in 1886.
YALE WINS BY FIVE LENGTHS.
New LONDON, July 1st-Yale won the
race to-day by five lengths, or I6 seconds.
Yales time was % min Sc Sec, and Har-
wards % min. 10I sec.
The attendance was something unprece-
denied. The scenes along the course, from
start to finish, were very striking. At 7:2S
the word was given, both crews catching
water very quickly, Harvard gaining the
advantage. Both crews started at thirty
six strokes, but after a burst of a minute
dropped into thirty-three and thirty-two
Harvard gradually drew away from Yale.
and in the first eighth of mile led by half
length. Both crews were pulling in per-
feet form, and the excitement was intense
Yale's powerful stroke, however, soon sent
her shell up until it and the press boat
were bow and bow. Though the official
time gives Harvard g lead of two
seconds, Harvard's time here was 2:54 and
Iale's 2:56. Just after passing the half
mile flag \ ale dropped her stroke to 80 !:
Harvard pulled at 81 and 80. Yale's slow
stroke proved more effective, and her boat
crept slowly to the front, and as thew passed
the mile in $50 and 5:23 Yale was lust
showing clear water ahead of Harvard's
boat. of the Navy-yard Harvard spurted
and made grand effort to clear the gap.
but Yale responded nobly, AMI at the two
mile flag had increased her lead to a length
and half. Here the race was practically
settled. Yale was pulling in earnest
form, and her powerful strokes sent her
boat along at rafting gait. Harvard was
also pulling in good form, but her stroke
seemed to lose its effectiveness In the
fifth half Yale gained five seconds. and
having the race in hand dropped her stroke
to 80 and 81. Harvard was still rowing
80 and "a. In the sixth half Yale made an
additional gain of seven and one-half sec
onds, and passed the three-mile flag in
l4:14, with lead of four lengths 1t began
to look like procession, and especially so
as in the seventh half Yale added fifth of
a length to her credit, doing the half in
2:11i, to Harvards 2:54l. and passing the
three and half mile flag in 20 minutes. to
Harvards 20:l94. In the last half-mile
Harvard made a desperate effort to lessen
Yale's lead, but it was OF little avail. Yale
maintained her slow swinging stroke, pay
ing very little attention to what Harvard
was doing and dashed across the finishing
line an easy winner by four or five lengths.
When the Yale men stopped rowing, Gill,
who pulled No. 2, fell back in his seat ex-
hausted, being overcome by the strain and
excitement